Last month, Bill exposed Colorado Speaker of the House Mark Ferrandino (D) as the man responsible for killing Jessica’s Law in that state. On February 22nd he interviewed Mark Lunsford, father of Jessica Lunsford, and Republican Rep. Libby Szabo, the sponsor of Jessica’s Law in the House. Bill explained that Ferrandino’s priorities, instead of protecting the children of Colorado from sexual predators, were pot legalization and civil unions, reporting that Ferrandino is Colorado’s “first openly gay House Speaker.” But Curtis Hubbard, editorial page editor of the Denver Post, called Bill a bigot. Hubbard appeared on The Factor on March 13thwhere he defended his smear. Hubbard claimed Bill purposely injected Ferrandino’s sexuality into the report to insinuate the House Speaker was a “pervert pedophile” who was protecting child molesters. Bill passionately disagreed with this assessment. Here is the transcript of the February 22nd interview where you can decide for yourself (or click here to watch the segment).

O'REILLY: Continuing now with our lead story is becoming -- is America I should say becoming a barbaric place? Because it's not protecting the kids.

As we mentioned, Colorado has killed Jessica's law, but not before the politicians out there heard this from Jessica Lunsford's father.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) LUNSFORD: Every day I could hear my daughter calling to help her and every day there was nothing that I could do to help her. But a repeat offender had control over her and over me. (END VIDEO CLIP)

O'REILLY: Despite Mr. Lunsford's passion, Colorado will not enact the law. He joins us from Tampa. Also with us from Colorado Springs, Libby Szabo, the Colorado State Representative who introduced Jessica's law.

So Miss Szabo let's cut to the chase here. Why does Colorado in the legislature, not the folks, but the legislature, why don't they want to protect the children?

LIBBY SZABO (R), COLORADO STATE REPRESENTATIVE: Well you know Mr. O'Reilly the reasoning behind it was that we have strict enough laws and as you earlier stated, that some of these child rapists can receive just four years. So I have to believe that they would rather protect the victim than our poor defenseless children from the predators that are after them.

O'REILLY: Ok. But there's got to be a reason for this. Now this Ferrandino I understand he is the -- what, the first openly gay House Speaker in Colorado. He was a fervent gay marriage person. He objected when gay marriage was first tabled because they sent it into the same committee to kill it that he sent Jessica's law in. All that true so far of this guy?

SZABO: So far you're correct.

O'REILLY: All right. So this guy doesn't want tougher mandatory sentences. Have you talked to him about it? Has he said anything to the press about why not?

SZABO: You know, I don't know that the press in Colorado, they covered this issue very well on -- on my side of the issue and on Mr. Lunsford's side of the issue. But I don't believe he was willing to speak to them because obviously he's protecting somebody. Obviously the victims hold more credence with him -- I mean not the victim--- the perpetrators hold more credence with him than the child victims do.

O'REILLY: Yes, but there's got to be a reason why. And you know, you should next time you see him, you should ask him. And we'll ask him, too. I mean he doesn't want to come on.

SZABO: Yes.

O'REILLY: But that doesn't mean we're not going to be able to ask him.

SZABO: Sure and I will.

O'REILLY: Because his life is going to (inaudible) for the worst. I'm going to hold this guy Ferrandino personally responsible. Yes, I am going hold him personally responsible.

SZABO: Great, you should.

O'REILLY: All right, now Mr. Lunsford, you go -- you go to Colorado. You've a Florida guy. And you -- and you do this all over the country and you do it very well. And you talk to them and anybody is going to respond to you. But they ignore what you say. Is -- were you surprised by that?

LUNSFORD: Oh I was very surprised that Colorado sent it to the Veteran Affairs Committee. And I was just astonished that they immediately voted no so quickly. You know, it's very heartfelt for me because this is an opportunity for them to put the worst of the worst away. If you -- you know they say the word about you know consensual sex and Romeo and Juliets, then don't charge them with Jesse's law. Charge them with something else. Jesse's law --

(CROSSTALK)

O'REILLY: Yes the prosecutor has the discretion in all --

(CROSSTALK)

LUNSFORD: Yes.

O'REILLY: -- in all of the Jessica's law legislation across the country, there is prosecutorial discretion to bring whatever charges they might. When -- that's just an excuse. Now when you talk -- did you talk to anybody, Mark that -- that -- that said to you, listen, you know, I'm real sorry for your daughter, but I'm not going to support the law. Did anybody be up front about it to you out there?

LUNSFORD: No. No. They didn't. I did have one person come to me and says that, you know, that he was sorry, but we already have tough laws and my response to him was, well, if you had tough laws, why are your repeat offenders repeating their offenses? You know let's get Jesse's law done.

(CROSSTALK)

O'REILLY: All right -- right as Miss Szabo pointed out, four years is not tough and you know, look, there are different places in different counties you're in Boulder County, that's different from Colorado Springs. And we understand that. But you've got to have a uniform law.

Now Miss Szabo when you see a guy like Mr. Lunsford who has worked with THE FACTOR all over the country and now as we said, we got 45 states, with Idaho and Jersey falling into line. 45 out of 50 and your state, Colorado, that's a mainstream state. That's not Hawaii. That's not Vermont. I mean it's changed there, but you're not crazy there. I think - - why aren't the folks getting more upset about this?

SZABO: You know, I believe the people of Colorado, the good people of Colorado want this law passed. Most of them said to me as I told them I was running this bill, oh, we don't already have Jessica's law? And I told them no. We're one of, at that time --

(CROSSTALK)

O'REILLY: Yes they don't know.

SZABO: Yes. Now we're one in five states.

O'REILLY: Right.

SZABO: And they said oh, the bill will be a no brainer. And I mentioned, I thought that was until Speaker Ferrandino put it into the State Military Veterans Affairs where we all know that --

(CROSSTALK)

O'REILLY: Yes and everybody know that's why this guy is a villain. But Hickenlooper, the governor hasn't gotten behind Jessica's law, has he?

SZABO: No, he hasn't. And I know that you have been on his case about that and he hasn't either --

(CROSSTALK)

O'REILLY: Well he's not and I got to tell you, Miss Szabo he's too busy legalizing marijuana. You guys are too busy utilizing pot. You can't protect the kids. You've got to get the pot. See, there is the priority in the Mile High City of Denver in the Rocky Mountains.

All right, Mark, look, you know we'll get it done, man. We're not going to give up on this. I think the people in Colorado are going to rise up against their legislature.

I'll give you the last word Mark, if you want to talk directly to the folks in Colorado, do so now.

LUNSFORD: Well I just think the people out of Colorado, you really need to start rattling some cages. Now is the time. You're hearing about it. Do something about it. Don't politic our kids. Don't debate their safety. Save them.

Thank you, Bill, for your advocacy for the last seven years.

O'REILLY: All right Mark. Any time I can help, you know we're here. Miss Szabo and Mr. Lunsford thank you both.